Potato-digger



No. 627,|45. Patented lune 20, i899.

's. c. scHoFlELn.

PUTAT BIGGER.

' {Appucation med Apr. 4, 189s.,

(No Model.) 2 Sheete-Shaet-I.

No. 627,I45., Y Patentad lune 20, |899.

, SLL Gf.. SCHUE-flELDb.,

POIAIO.: DIESER;

(Appliflation.` filed-1 Agn, 4,. 159,8? (No Model.) l 2 sheets-sheet 2.

ml W Y, K. K C Mil Z W E gq t@ mnnml ad? /d M b Jul/5.

UNITED STATES ,y

PATENT Orr-1cm sILAsc. soHoF1ELD,`oF FREEPORT, ILLINOIS.

PoTATo- BIGGER.

` SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 627,145, dated J' une20, 1899.

Appiiaion 6166 aan 4, '1896. serai No. 676,366. (No 616661.)

To @ZZ whom. t may concern:

Beit known that I, SILAs O.- SCHOFIELD, citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Freeport, in the county of Stephenson and Statey ofIllinois, have invented cer'- tain new and useful Improvements inPotato- Diggers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in potato-diggers, its object beingto provide a simple and practical digger, economical in construction,and adapted for actual use under varying conditions of soil.

The invention is fully described and explained in this specification andshown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a perspectiveView of a completeV digger embodying myimprovenients. Fig. 2 is atransverse vertical section of the machine through the line 2 2, Fig. 5.Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the central main casting or forging of theplowvof the digger. Fig. 4 is a section in the plane l 4 of Figs. 3' and5, and Fig. 5 is a top plan of the complete digger.

In the views, A A are two parallel transverse timbers of the main frameof the machine, and B B are longitudinal parallel bars fastened to thebars A A and forming with them the complete main frame. The timbers A Arest upon and aresupported by parallel runners C C or other suitablesupports, whereby the frame may be held at a fixed distance above theground and ymay move forward freelyin the operation of the machine, aloop cz being fastened to the front timber A for the i attachment of ahorse or team of horses.

Between the front ends ofthe longitudinall timbers B B of the frame arepivoted the front ends of two bars D`D, extending backward andconverging toward their lrear ends,where they are rigidly fastenedintransverse grooves c at the upper end of the shank E of the cen' tralcasting or forging of a suitable/diggingplow, the grooves e c beingformed in both side faces of the shank and only one of them being shownin the drawings. The shank is formed with a suitable point E and withwings E2 E? just above the point,these wings being adapted to supportthe moldboards F F of the plow, and the inner ends of the moldboardsbeing set in suitable recesses, so as to machine, as illustrated in Fig.1.

be flush with the upper surface of the shank at their point of junctiontherewith. On the lower or rear faces of themoldboards are fas-l tenedseparating-fingers G G, each pair of fin- -gers being formed from asingle bar of steel ben-t into U shape at its middle, and the U- shapedbend being clamped to the lower or rear face of the moldboard by meansof abar H, crossing one or more pairs of the fingers and held in placeby suitable bolts. Other separating-fingers G G2 are fastened to theshank of the plow itself and are clearly shown in the drawings, but neednot be described particularly, as they form no part of the noveltyclaimed for the machine. The length of the vertically-swin ging frame issuch that the rear end e of the plowshare is in substantially the sametransverse line as the rear ends'of the runners O C, and the plow istherefore fully supported by the runners and lies Within their basearea. It may therefore evidently be raised temporarily and supportedupon the frame of the machine for convenience of movement when thedigger is not in operation, or its height with relation to the frame ofthe machine maybe permanently adjusted in order to lix the depth belowthe surface of the ground at which the plow shall run when in operation.

For the temporary support of the plow for convenience of transportationswinging rods l I are pivoted in the timbers B B near their rear endsand may be swung upward in veri rod L passes through and extends belowthe bars K K' and is provided with a clamping set-screw Z, whereby itsvertical position with reference to the bars K K maybe changed andwhereby it may be secured in any desired position of adjustment. Thelower part of .the rod L is bent backward in an approximately horizontalline and is adapted to rest upon the rear timber A of `the frame of theBy means of `this arrangement the plow may evidently IOO y be set at anydepth below the lower faces of IIS the runners and the depth at which itruns in the ground may thereby be fixed. This is evidently a necessaryadjustment, since it is essential to have the plow run below theporatoes to be dug and at the same time it is objectionable to have itrun any deeper than is necessary to reach all the potatoes, since -anygreater depth requires the unnecessary lifting of earth.

Having now described and explained my invention, what I claim as new,and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. 'l`he combinationwith the main frame and its supports, of theswinging frame, the digging-plow fastened to and supported by the mainframe, and the rods, I, I, pivoted to the main frame and adapted to beswung upward and ro form supports for the swinging frame, whereby theplow may be held 2. The combination with the main frame, l

the swinging vframe, and the plow supported by the swinging frame, of avertically-adjustable rod, L, p fastened to the swinging frame .andadapted to rest upon the main frame and support the swinging frame,whereby the vnormal height of the swinging frame with relation tothe mainframe may be adj usted to regulate the depth of the plow.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand, at Freeport, in thecounty of Stephenson and State of Illinois, this 24th day of March, A.D. 1898.

sILAs c. 'sol-IOFIELD.

Witnesses:

JAMES H. STEARNS, E. A. SHANNON.

